Love, War, and Sacrifice: Book Two
by Leo the Hyacinth
Summary: Sequel to the hit Rio fanfic. The story continues as Blu and his new friends finally meet Leo, a Hyacinth Macaw with a deep secret that will change everything. At the same time, tensions rise in the human world as the CIA tracks down the escaped smugglers, and prepares for an international conflict. Rated T: action/violence/some adult themes.
1. Chapter 1: New Leads

**If you asked me a year ago that I was going to write a nearly 90,000 word story about Rio, I would've called you crazy. But now it's done, and I'm moving on the next thing in line: Book Two! So many more surprises await everyone in the second installment! Remember that I plan on finishing this and Book Three before Rio 2 comes out in April! So hang on tight, my friends! Book Two is about to begin.**

**Just a quick note: I'm changing the format of conversations between characters. I'm no longer adding explanations about who's talking every time there's a quote. It's taking up a lot of space and makes the book appear to be written in an immature manner. I think everyone's capable of figuring out who's talking. I hope everyone enjoys!**

Chapter 1

For most, sleeping in after a long, tiring day is inevitable, if one's schedule allows it. That irresistible lethargic feeling of staying asleep captivates the masses and allows for a more enjoyable experience. This is the case for the vast majority of the birds of the forest. Well, except for the Hyacinths, who rarely do anything normal at all.

The sun had just risen across the magical city. Without a moment to spare, the eyes of Newton, the group's self-appointed temporary leader, peeked open onto the early morning forest. Newton, in the same mindset as his friends, enjoyed getting work finished at the earliest convenience. His primary objective: talk to Luiz regarding his witnessing of certain events on the first night of the conflict. Newton hoped that key details in the events will reveal more about future plots against their friends, the Sanctuary, or the city of Rio itself. Nothing was out of the question.

In an attempt to avoid waking anyone else, Newton stretched his wings and silently walked to the edge of his nest. With a quick forward pull of his weight, he sent himself dropping out of the nest towards the ground, head first. He extended his wings and caught the air just feet from the ground and pulled up just in time. Though he didn't show his emotions through speaking, his face showed excitement and spirit.

Exiting the forest, Newton first cruised down to the Samba club, since it was the place where he had last seen Luiz. Once he arrived, however, there was no sign of him.

"Must've gone home," Newton muttered, taking off and heading for Santa Teresa.

When he arrived at Luiz's garage, he wasted no time putting the passcode into the keypad and gaining access to the garage.

"Luiz," Newton called out. "You in here?"

The sound of a rattled can filled the garage, and claws scraping on concrete were heard. Out from behind the rusty truck came Luiz, who was in a daze.

"Who's there?" Luiz called back, staggering into the main garage area. "I'm a bit tired."

"It's me. Newton," Newton replied, walking up to Luiz. "I need you to answer a couple of questions for me."

"I'm listenin'." Luiz took a seat in front of him and was all ears.

"Nico and Pedro broke the news to me," Newton explained. "They told me that you have some information regarding events that you encountered two nights ago on your way to the club."

"Yeah some stuff happened," Luiz acknowledged. "I didn't really think that any of it was important, though. Just some people stuff."

"I'm under the impression that what you saw was much more important than just 'people stuff'," Newton countered. "Just give me a rundown of what went on."

Luiz thought for a moment. "I was in the back of this truck. I was heading down from my neighborhood to go to the club. After such a long day, I was pretty tired, so I fell asleep in the truck. When I woke up some time later, I was at the docks. These two guys were talkin' about some big plan, and the guy in the truck went to retrieve something from up in the forest. You wanna run up there quick and take a look?"

"Yeah I'll do that," Newton replied, walking to the exit. "Which way?"

"Head up the mountain past the neighborhood," Luiz instructed. "Once you reach the woods, just check in the area for some downed trees. You'll find it."

"Cool, thanks." Newton took off and headed up the mountain, above the neighborhood. After just a few minutes of inspecting the forest, he noticed a clearing near the other side. Swooping down near the area, Newton spotted the wrecked and decrepit remains of a human object, overgrown with rainforest plants reclaiming the area.

Newton landed near the object and took a closer look. Seeing a cockpit, large props, and wings were enough to tell him that it was an airplane. Satisfied with his discovery, Newton took off and returned to the garage.

"Did you find it?" Luiz inquired as he landed back inside.

"There's a wrecked plane underneath the canopy," Newton reported. It's been there for some time. I'd say about—

"—A month," Luiz chimed in and said it in unison with Newton.

Newton was surprised. "How did you know that?"

"Did no one ever tell you about the love story?" Luiz was begging the question.

"My entrance into this group of people was pretty sudden," Newton explained himself. "Enlighten me."

"Blu and Jewel, man," Luiz started. "Their love story is like, beautiful. He came from America, and she's a wild Brazilian native. They went on a pretty interesting journey during Carnival. Yanno he couldn't fly 'til he came here?"

"I might've heard the story before," Newton thought if he did or not. "Do you know why he couldn't fly?"

"No one really knows," Luiz replied, "not even him."

"Where did he spend his childhood?" Newton prompted to know more.

Luiz looked out into the streets. "He spent it in a little town in Minnesota. I think it was called Moose Lake. Best guess is that if you wanna know more, go talk to 'em."

Newton looked out into the street out of curiosity and saw nothing. "So how does this story have anything to do with the crashed plane?"

"They were captured and were getting smuggled out of the city via a plane." Luiz examined his garage. "Jewel broke her wing in an accident, and Blu still couldn't fly. The smuggler dudes escaped the plane after something went wrong. Blu and Jewel fell out, kissed midair and Blu gained the flying ability just in time to save them."

"So something was left in the plane that those guys wanted." Newton checked the garage.

"Some kind of animal," Luiz described. "White hair or feathers. It was hard to see in the bad light."

"Where did they go next after leaving the docks?" A can rolled on the floor nearby.

"Some jail," Luiz licked his chops. "They broke in and freed all the guys in there. Three of 'em followed the truck to the airport. A man in the truck gave the guys the animal, tickets, and ID's and they were on their way. Then the last guy just drove into the city and parked the truck. Not long after, he blew the truck up!"

"These humans are planning something," Newton concluded. "If what you say is true and accurate, this city is in for something serious. We know too much. We need to communicate with the humans." He cursed himself. "Ugh if only our friend was here."

"Your friend?" Luiz was curious.

"Way back when I was in the care of humans," Newton elaborated, "one of the men's names was Chris. Chris had schizophrenia, a neurological disorder. In addition, he possessed a rare form of autism, a brain development disorder. It gave him greater control of his brain. During my time with him and his friends, his condition worsened. His social skills became close to zero, but his brain power was exponentially increased. Get this: my old friend Da Vinci communicated with the man!"

Luiz couldn't believe that a human was capable of communicating with animals. His eyes widened.

"He spoke to him and he understood his every word, translating them to other humans. My friend was injured in an escape, and I never saw the humans or Da Vinci again. If they return and we find them, I believe that Chris may possess the ability to translate Da Vinci. We need to find someone that somehow has connections to humans."

"Blu's owner lives in the city now!" Luiz was happy to have a solution. "They live down by Botofogo."

"They?" Newton was clarifying. "I thought you said he had one owner."

"She's married now," Luiz nodded. "I think her hubby's name's Tulio."

"Do you know his last name?" Newton was on the edge of his seat, not literally of course.

Luiz tried hard to think. "Man I got nothin'. Blu should know, though."

"You are invaluable my friend," Newton patted Luiz on the back. "Sorry that I disturbed your sleep. I'll let you rest."

"Hey anything to help out, right?" Luiz turned around and pranced back to his bed. "See ya."

Newton chuckled a little and took off, heading to Blu's nest to talk to him about Tulio.

In the human world of Rio, Tulio's alarm clock went off. He smacked the button as hard as he could manage, and its annoying beep ceased. Also awoken by the clock, Linda rolled over to go back to sleep. Tulio said nothing and hopped up out of bed. He showered, changed, brushed his teeth, and went downstairs to prepare a quick breakfast before heading to the office.

Using a skillet he had recently purchased, Tulio made a few fluffy pancakes to start his day off with. As he was sitting down to eat, something rang in his work bag. Confused that his cell phone in his pocket was not ringing, he got up and opened the bag. Inside was the satellite phone given to him by Agent Billy's partner two nights earlier. It was ringing. Tulio picked it up and answered.

"Hello?" Tulio listened closely to the call.

"Mr. Monteiro," a voice replied. "It's Connor, Bill's partner on the Andre case. Bill wants to speak to you right away. I'm going to patch you though to him. These satellite phones are bit more secure than normal phones, so we do this for security."

"Patch me through," Tulio replied, waiting. The call disconnected from Connor, and about five seconds later, there was a response.

"Tulio," Bill's voice came on the phone. "Are you reading me?"

"Yes I can hear you," Tulio turned and looked out the window at the sun's rays through the buildings. "What do you need?"

"I have very important information regarding the case," Bill explained. "I had the opportunity to view the crime scene at Richard's house. It's pretty clear to everyone that they made a mistake. They killed the wrong man."

"Do they know who they were after?" Tulio inquired.

"I didn't until I received a call from a very important man, someone that you need to meet. In fact, after the funeral this afternoon, he's returning to Rio for the first time in over 30 years: Sergeant Chris Hawkins of the United States Marine Corps, Retired."

Tulio couldn't believe his ears. "My father's old friend? The one that was here with you?"

"That's right. Most of us forgot about him, to be honest. He doesn't even really have a home. After the service, he was enrolled in various programs to help him out."

"What was wrong?"

"Chris is a very special man. You see, he developed a brain disorder as he grew into his 20's, and soon enough, he lost nearly all of his social capability. But he gained something the likes of which have never been seen before in human history."

"What did he gain?"

"Tulio, Chris has the ability to communicate with birds."

Tulio was in disbelief. "How is that even possible?"

"It's very limited in scope," Billy continued. "We've only ever seen him communicate with one bird before."

"What is it?"

"Remember the little talk we had about the Hyacinths? Remember the one that we couldn't find named Leo? Well, we found him now. As we suspected, he's been living with Richard. There's a reason why we believe that they were really coming for Chris: Chris can talk to Leo. Uninformed assailants wouldn't have known what Chris looked like, so they must've assumed that Richard was Chris. I feel so terrible. We lost an innocent and valuable friend for no reason."

"Did you find Leo?" Tulio wanted to know. "Is he alright?"

"The assailants didn't find Leo," assured Bill. "But we sure did. He's perfectly fine."

"So why are they coming for Leo and Chris?"

"We've read the recent stories: dead birds near Sugarloaf Mountain, massive formations of birds blocking the sky over the city, and a prison break involving smugglers that you know. It's all fitting together now."

"What's fitting together?"

"Those people we talked about? Marcel Jr.? Tipo? Armando? The smuggling ring? Your testimony that helped put them away? Did you know that they own a bird?"

"They do?" Tulio was surprised.

"They own a rather famous bird, actually," Bill confirmed. "His name is Nigel. He's a white Cockatoo. He's seen better days. He once had a children's television show here in Brazil. Once he got too old, they took him off, replaced him, and privately auctioned to an owner. We have all of the records. He was purchased on August 18th, 1995 by Marcel Piquet, Sr. himself. This bird's been around for quite some time. That package the group was carrying at the airport? It may have been Nigel."

Tulio thought for a moment. "I think you have something wrong."

Billy was surprised. "What do we have wrong?"

"I don't think that Richard was killed by accident," Tulio hypothesized. "I think that they may have killed him because he may have been protecting Chris by keeping Leo away from him. They wouldn't kill Chris. They need him. They want a connection to Nigel's world. And if he can only talk to Leo, they'll need him too."

There was silence from Billy's end of the phone for about 10 seconds. "That's a very good point," Bill admitted. "We're going to look more into where these guys are going. The US State Department and the Department of Justice are all over this. If they've left Brazil, this is an international issue. We'll have to notify Interpol."

"Keep me updated. I'll be at work so you can call me whenever you can."

"Sounds like a plan. Take care, Tulio." The phone hung up. Tulio washed off his plates and utensils and grabbed his bag as he headed out the door. He proceeded over to his SUV, got in, started it, and began driving to the Conservatory.

**Well guys, I'm back! I know this isn't a very long chapter, but I felt it was long enough to get everyone back into the story. Hope you guys enjoy! I hope everyone likes the cover art as well, crafted by yours truly! It tells quite a bit, actually. **

**Looking ahead to Chapter 2: Newton's search for the truth, Tulio at the Conservatory, and a few wake-up stories!**


	2. Chapter 2: Back to Work

Chapter 2

Newton wasted little time getting from place to place. He cruised in the early morning sky at great speed before slipping underneath the rainforest canopy and into the Sanctuary. Stealthily, he perched onto the doorway of Blu and Jewel's nest and watched over them for a few minutes. They and their children were fast asleep, exhausted from the previous day's events.

Getting a little impatient, Newton decided to softly coax them into waking up.

"Hey guys," he whispered, almost as softly as the wind. "Hey."

Blu stirred in his sleep, and Jewel didn't move an inch.

He proceeded to get a little louder. "Wake up, guys."

This time, Jewel moved, and Blu's eyes twitched.

Newton didn't want to waste any more time.

"Hey guys," he spoke in a normal conversation voice. At a moment's notice, Blu jumped from bed and stood in a battle stance. Jewel opened her eyes and looked at Newton.

"Sorry about that," he laughed. "I need to talk to you."

"Sure," Blu acknowledged, fixing his feathers and laughing a little to his wife. "Want me to come with you?"

"Yeah I'd like that."

Blu took off from the nest, followed by Newton, who quickly caught up with him.

"What's up?" Blu inquired.

"I'm told you know someone of great importance to my friends and I right now," Newton said, taking a turn out of the sanctuary.

"Who do I know?" Blu was confused.

Newton smiled. "A human! I'm told that you were owned by a human, and that she is married to a man named Tulio!"

Blu was surprised at the old avian's excitement. "Well yeah! But what's so important about him?"

"You wouldn't happen to know his last name, would you?"

Blu smiled. "Well, that's easy! It's Monteiro."

Out of nowhere, Newton stopped dead in his flight path, flapping his wings in a stationary position. His eyes widened, still staring at Blu, and his jaw dropped a little. It took Blu a moment to realize that Newton had stopped, as he soon put on the brakes and backed up in the air to look at him.

Blu still was very confused. "I don't understand…what's so important about him?"

"You and I have a lot to talk about," Newton's voice was low and serious.  
"Come with me. We've got some important matters to discuss."

Newton instructed Blu to follow, and he did just that, heading back through the Sanctuary and heading around to the north side of Corcovado.

At the crack of dawn, the eyes of Rafael took their first peeks into the daylight world outside of his tree. Ensuring the safety of his family, he looked to his right to see Eva still sound asleep, and his children in the corner of the room snuggled together doing the same. Feeling content, and with no reason to get up, Rafael closed his eyes and rested some more.

Underground, in their secret bedroom underneath the market, Nico and Pedro were tossing and turning in their sleep, while Ivan lay in the corner, sleeping like a baby. Opening the club would have to wait for a while, as the three entrepreneurs enjoyed some more rest.

Inside the Conservatory, Margaret was still propped up against the cage with Peter inside. The initial rays of sunshine did not come through the windows, as the Aviary was surrounded on all sides by forest. However, inside the cage, Peter was awakening. He was still feeling groggy, as he had just had a pacemaker surgically implanted on his heart the night before. Eager to hear the voice of his companion, Peter whispered to her, hoping for a response.

"Margaret," the soft voice of Peter carried just a centimeter or two. "Hey. Babe. Wake up."

The small sensations of sound brought Margaret to life, opening her eyes and putting a smile on her face like she hadn't smiled in a long time. Her bright eyes brought life to the room, and to Peter.

"How're you feeling?" she asked.

"I guess you could say better," Peter said honestly, "though I don't plan on going very far for a little while. I still need to rest and get used to these changes. I…I may not ever be able to do all the things I used to love to do. Sure I'll be able to fly again, but how fast? And for how long? I just need some time."

"You'll get all the time you need. No one's rushing you!"

Peter looked out into the room. "I just can't stop thinking about what those other birds did for me. Hopefully I'll be up and running in a matter of a few days, and I'll get to see them all, and thank them personally. It's the least I can do." He smiled.

Margaret smiled back. "I'm sure we can arrange that."

It didn't take long for Tulio to reach the Conservatory. Being one of the lead directors, he was the first to arrive that Wednesday morning. After parking his car, he walked to the front entrance and unlocked the door, entering the building. He closed the door behind him, scanning the room and looking for anything significant.

In the corner of his eye, he noticed a blue and yellow macaw near the cage containing the Glaucous Macaw. He proceeded with caution towards the other side of the room. It wasn't hard for the macaw to recognize movement, and it turned towards Tulio with an angry attack-ready face on. A squawk from the Glaucous in the cage took the bird off alert, however. Tulio was convinced that they communicated.

"I may have no idea what either of you are saying," Tulio spoke to both birds, "but I know you both understand what I'm saying. Don't you worry, though. Soon enough, we'll have someone here that will finally break the language barrier!"

Tulio proceeded over to another area of the lab, and began working on various setups throughout the lab.

**I'd like to continue to apologize for letting everyone down. As you all know, Rio 2 is fast approaching, and the story is going to have to be consolidated into two books instead of the original three, and unnecessary filler will be predominantly removed. This chapter was really short because again, it's been a month and a half since I've put anything out. I'm as angry and frustrated as you guys are, so there's no denying that on my part. Next chapter will be the usual that you'd expect from me: good quality, of good length, and of course, more from your favorite characters!**

**Looking ahead to Chapter 3: Blu at the Hyacinth's nest, Tulio learning more about his father's past, and Jewel's quality time with the kids!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Key

**With less than 23 days left until Rio 2 is released, here's another good 'ol chapter for all you loyal fans out there!**

Chapter 3

Blu was surprised at the speed of Newton for being so old. His spirit was impeccable for his age: young inside and out. Dashing through the trees, Blu couldn't help but view the striking rainforest that he had the honor to call home.

Soon enough, the two blue birds arrived at the Hyacinth's nest, where Einstein, Plato, and Kepler were hanging out, enjoying the early morning hours.

"Getting the poor young guy up early?" Einstein joked as they arrived. "That's just rude, Lucas."

"You guys seem to enjoy having two names, huh?" Blu joked. "Must be enjoyable."

"Well at least us human-owned birds get to enjoy it," Newton remarked. "There's the name they give you, and there's the name your parents give you. Everyone but our little clan here refers to us by our human names for a reason."

"It's almost a badge of honor, in a sense," Plato added. "Most with a human-given name escaped from their captors, so it's usually something on the table when you strike a conversation with a stranger."

"I can happily say that I lived 15 good years with a loving owner," Blu contrasted. "I fell in love with the gem of the forest, and here I am, willingly away from my owner. We stay in touch on the bright side."

The Hyacinths other than Newton were surprised at this.

"You have contact with humans?" Einstein inquired.

"That's the reason he's here right now," Newton butted in to stop the commotion that was arising. "He doesn't just know a human, but rather he knows a human that has extraordinary significance to what we're looking for."

"Can't be Francisco," Plato ruled out. "He's been gone for ages! It's almost like it was yesterday when the newspapers showed big bold letters: "VETERAN POLICE OFFICER SLAIN". The man that captured us is the one that did all this to him!"

"It's not him," Newton assured them, "but rather the next important person: his son."

Again, major gasps from the group.

"We know very little about him," Kepler broke his silence, which caused everyone to look at him in surprise. "He was just a year old when we took off, ow, from the facility." He clenched his beak.

"I really wanna learn about the rest of your story," Blu looked at Kepler. "You stopped just before you were on a branch with some friends, I think."

"He's in no condition to be telling any stories, let alone speak at all." Newton turned his head to Kepler, who looked away in guilt. "Once he's feeling a hundred percent again, you can bet he'll give you the whole rest of the spiel."

"How do you know about Tulio?" Einstein questioned Blu.

"My owner married him," Blu spoke confidently.

"It's almost like the keys we needed walked right into our nest, didn't they?" The Hyacinths laughed.

"So tell me, when do we get to meet your man Tulio?" Plato wanted to know.

"He works at the Conservatory," Blu replied. "He's probably starting work sometime soon! Though I wouldn't bother him. He's got plenty of work to do. He's been off for a little while, settling in with the marriage."

"I almost feel as if things are going according to some kind of plan long preceding modern day," Einstein suggested. "With all of this coming up now, maybe there's a chance that—

"—don't try to get everyone's hopes up about nothing," Newton cut him off. "Do you honestly think that Alexandre is ever going to come back?" He looked at the rest of the group, who looked solemn. "I think we all need to face the facts here. The guy's been gone over thirty years to God knows where, and up until two nights ago, we've had absolutely nothing even remotely connected to where he might be! We don't even have a name of an owner, a location, or a reason…"

His voice trailed off as he started to slightly choke up. Blu couldn't believe that he had broken so easily over a long lost friend.

Through a choking voice, and with the heads of all the other Hyacinths, Newton pressed on. "All I can see in my mind is…is that moment of looking back, leaving that facility…That awful loud blast that rings in my ears to this very day…The blood projecting up into the air…the paralyzing screech from the pain and suffering of a friend…It never really goes away. It's always there, in one form or another. It bugs you not only that it won't ever leave, but that there's absolutely nothing you can do about it, unless the friend you miss so dearly miraculously reappeared in front of us. You try to find other little things to fill the void that a friend left when he left your life. I guess that's all that there really is to it anymore. Try to cover it, and pray that it never crosses your mind."

"Well said," Einstein patted him on the back. The others agreed with what he said.

"So should I try to talk to Tulio?" Blu wanted to help them. "I know you guys want information, but my communication with him is going to be limited. Too bad we can't ask him questions."

"This is why we need Chris to be here!" Newton exclaimed. His friends realized who he was referring to, and their eyes widened.

"Chris?" Blu was clueless.

"He was one of Tulio's father's friends from the military entourage that came here from America. They saved us and gave us an opportunity to be free of cages, if we did what they asked. I'm sure Diego would've told you about that if he had been able to tell you the whole story behind all of this."

"Alright. So what's his significance?"

"The guy was legally insane. But he possessed the ability to talk to Leo and translate to humans. We never really figured out how it really happened. It's stumped us, really."

Blu was curious. "Certainly seems like a one of a kind case. So that's why you need him. Do you know if he's even still alive?"

"Again, we have no idea about any of these things. We just know what he's capable of. If the extra sensory perception that we've been getting has some kind of truth to it, there may be some serious things happening in this city in just a matter of days. Everything that's been happening in this crazy last couple days has just been unbelievable. ESP may be real after all."

"I'll do the best I can to get anything from Tulio," Blu nodded. "Until then, where can I find you guys?"

"Most of us are probably gonna be hanging out here," Plato confirmed. "You may find Lucas here flying around, but the rest of us need to just think all this over. We may be kids at heart, but we do have limitations."

"Gotcha. I'll see what I can find. Take care, guys."

With that, Blu took off and headed out of the rainforest, heading straight for the Conservatory to look for Tulio.

* * *

At the aviary, Tulio was talking to one of the other lab techs. The room was full of activity, with plenty of other staff on hand working with the animals.

"Quite amazing, huh?" Tulio showcased the Glaucous Macaw to the technician.

"This is an international breakthrough!" the technician smiled at the caged bird, and the Blue and Yellow Macaw sitting next to its cage. "Wait until you have the media all over you for this. It's gonna be leaked eventually!"

"Well I guess we'll make due then," Tulio responded.

Just then, Tulio's cell phone rang. He reached down into his lab coat pocket and pulled out his phone. The front screen read, "CALL FROM: MOM".

"I need to take this," Tulio was about to answer. "Feel free to check the bird out some more!"

He proceeded to answer the phone as the technician walked away. "Hello?"

"Hello, my darling!" Tulio's mother greeted him on the phone. "How's my son doing? You never talk to me anymore!"

"I'm sorry," Tulio apologized. "I'm always busy with work and Linda and everything. You gotta understand."

"I know, I know. I'm calling to tell you something very important."

He was surprised. "What is it?"

"I know that over the past couple of months, you were talking about your father's office in the city, and how you couldn't find the key to get in there and look for some documents. I have great news! I've found the key!"

Tulio couldn't believe it. He had been looking for that key for most of his adult life.

"You know what the strangest part is?" she continued. "I found it in an old coat pocket of his, but it was a suit that I bought for him that he never wore. Wonder how it got in there."

Tulio had no idea. It made him have a strange feeling. "Would it be possible for me to come down soon and grab it? I'd like to check the office out sometime soon."

"That place hasn't been touched since your father died. I'd be careful while you're in there. A part of your father probably still lies in that place. Just be respectful, okay? I'll be home all day, so you can stop by whenever you want."

"Thank you. I have to get back to work now, so I'll talk to you soon!"

"Love you, Tulio! See you soon!"

Tulio hung up and placed his phone back into his pocket. It was time to check the Glaucous Macaw's recovery progress.

* * *

After Blu left the nest with Newton, Jewel decided that since she was up, it was time to get everything started for the day. While the kids were still resting, she quickly made her way out of the nest to a nearby mango tree, grabbed a mango, and brought it back to the nest. While slicing it up, Bruno smelled the deliciousness and opened an eye. Once the food was in sight, there was nothing stopping him from there.

"FOOD!" Bruno yelled as he sprung up out of the corner, scaring the living daylights of Gabriela and Ramon. Rushing to the sliced piece of mango, he wasted no time devouring it in a slurry of juices.

"Mmm," Bruno had his mouth full. "It is sooo good."

"I want some of it!" Ramon ran over and grabbed a piece, proceeding to eat it.

"I hope there's enough for me!" Gabriela walked over and searched for a piece.

Jewel was laughing at all of this. "Here you go, sweetie." She handed Gabriela a piece. "There's plenty for everyone."

Gabriela nibbled at it, enjoying every bite.

"Is there more?" Bruno was finished and hungry for more.

"Of course there is!" Jewel gave him another piece. "Try to eat it a little slower. You'll be amazed at how much more you'll enjoy it!"

"I'll try." He made an attempt at eating it slower, but found himself devouring it yet again. Jewel giggled a little and smiled. She decided to save a little mango for Blu, so she set it aside in their nest. Once the three kids were finished, she cleaned up the remains of the mango and threw them to the jungle below to be recycled.

"Now, who wants to go for a little flight?" Jewel was energetic and ready to get moving on the day. The kids seemed to share it.

"Yeah let's go!" Bruno couldn't wait.

"I'm up for that!" Gabriela was eager.

"I'm gonna beat everyone!" Ramon made a game out of flying.

"You guys ready?" Jewel started to spread her wings and faced out of the nest.

"Yeah!" the kids said in unison.

"Alright, let's go!" Jewel flapped her wings and floated out of the nest, with the kids following close behind. Out of the forest they climbed, into the clear view of the city and ocean beyond. Christo was bright on top of Corcovado, and the beaches appeared clean and pristine.

"Always nice to get out and enjoy the sunshine!" Jewel did a trick or two in the air. "Woohoo!"

"Oh yeah!" Bruno was thrilled at being so high. "Everyone's like ants!"

Jewel laughed. "Hope you're all having a great time!"

The group of Blue Macaws headed out towards Ipanema beach, soaring over the city brightened by the clear sky and powerful sunlight.

**How's that for a quick chapter? I told everyone that I'd be back quick! It's time to keep on moving! Until then, hope this chapter lived up to your expectations!**

**Looking ahead to Chapter 4: Tulio gets his key, Blu looks for Tulio, and Jewel and the kids check out the Samba Club!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Truth

Chapter 4

Soon enough, it was midday across the city, and the scientists at the Conservatory took to their daily lunch break. Tulio took advantage of the time to retrieve the key to his father's office at the BICES complex, the original site of the Conservatory and aviary founded by Tulio's father. When the lunch break was called, Tulio left the building and proceeded to the yellow SUV. He got in, started it, and drove to the expressway.

The highway took him over the Costa e Silva Bridge, which is arguably one of the most beautiful sights of all of Rio. With Guanabara Bay underneath him, and the mountains surrounding the city at every horizon, there could hardly be any better place to view the city from the ground. The panorama of the city is even better from the view in Niteroi, just across the bridge. It's also the home of Tulio's mother.

Tulio parked on the street and walked to the door of the house. He rang the doorbell and waited a few seconds. The door opened, revealing Tulio's mother. She is of a very similar skin color to Tulio, very youthful looking, and very short.

"My baby!" Ms. Monteiro hugged Tulio. "So good to see you. Please come in."

She broke the hug and proceeded inside the house, where Tulio sat down on a couch in the small living room. A rerun of a soccer match was on the television. Ms. Monteiro brought Tulio a hot cup of tea, and an envelope.

"I just made some tea," she smiled handing it to him. Tulio took it reluctantly, thinking that he wouldn't staying long. "Thought maybe you'd like some."

"Thank you, _mamãe_," Tulio thanked her. "Though I must be going now. I'm on lunch break."

His mother laughed. "Well alright then! It was good to see you! Please come back to visit soon."

Tulio grasped the envelope containing the key, hoping that it may hold some evidence of figuring out the secrets behind his father's death. It would only be a matter of time before Billy returned with Chris, Leo the Hyacinth Macaw, and other members of his CIA team to help manage the looming situation with the on-the-run Andre Salinas and the escaped bird smugglers.

The first thing Tulio did walking out to his car was pull out the satellite phone and contact Connor, who was still in the city on watch. The phone rang a few times before there was an answer.

"Special Agent Connor," Connor picked up.

"It's Tulio Monteiro," Tulio replied. "I have a key here for an office that belonged to my father. I'm not sure what I'll find inside, but I figured I'd call you and ask for you to accompany me to the place, just to be safe. Do you mind?"

"Yeah I'll get over to the office. You just head to it and I'll ping the phone and find you."

"Sounds good. Take care." Tulio hung up. Getting into the car, he left Niteroi and headed back over the bridge to Rio. He drove straight into Center City to search for the office. At last, Tulio parked just down the street from an ordinary looking office building mixed in with all the others. Opening the front door, he walked over to the directory plate.

All names were taken up on the directory plate, except for the second highest floor of the building, which had "PRIVATE" inscribed on its name plate instead of a business. Tulio knew that that was the right floor. He headed to the elevator and pressed the corresponding button.

A minute later, the doors opened to reveal a small hallway, bordered by windowed walls covered in shades so that the contents inside were not viewable. Tulio hadn't been here since he was a very young boy. He basically never visited his father at work.

Walking up to the office door, which was also windowed with a shade over it, there was a small but noticeable sign in the window of the door in front of the shade. It read, "The Brazilian Institute for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Inc.", followed by its translation into Portuguese. There were no names or hours of operation.

Behind Tulio, the elevator was climbing up to his floor. Tulio turned and waited. Soon enough, the doors opened, and Connor stepped into the room.

"Good to see you," Tulio shook Connor's hand. "I was just about to go in."

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." Connor was dead serious. "Here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a copy of a news report. "I talked to Billy on the way here. He advised me to read this and pass it on to you. You might rethink if you really wanna go in there or not."

Tulio read the paper. It was a copy of a newspaper article from December of 1995, not too long before Tulio's father's death. The headline read: "CACHE OF POLICE EXPLOSIVES STOLEN FROM STATION; NO LEADS ON WHEREABOUTS". Tulio's eyes grew wide, and Connor nodded.

"You must be getting the same feelings as I was," Connor said, looking at the paper.

"My father had connections to the police force through only one person," Tulio looked confused. "Only Andre Salinas was friends with my father. He never liked the rest of the department—

"—and that's where all this comes in," Connor interrupted. "I knew it from the moment I read it what Billy was trying to tell me all along. I argued with him for five minutes about their relationship before he gave me this article. After that, I knew what the entire story was about."

"What is it? Tell me what you're thinking."

"Way back when, when Billy, Rich, and Chris were all still in town, they were friends with your father, and with Andre by association. Now, this was before your father became a full time conservationist and director of the whole Department of Conservation in Brasilia. He was a regular patrolman; he wasn't yet working on the top secret cases with smuggling. Once the guys left, he went to work building the life you know of him. Andre was always a good friend of your father's, and he played your father right into a trap.

"Both of them were in an elite task force designated by the federal government to take down smuggling operations. They had captured small guys, but they never found the big fish. Finally, one of the peons cracked under torture and gave Marcel Piquet, Sr. away. This was roughly the middle of the year before your father's death. This started the whole program to get your father into the smuggling operation and bust it. We never really put together who gave your father up. We knew that Andre was always it, but we never had real motive. We couldn't connect him. But this article? This is what we've been looking for for a long time.

"Those explosives? They were just regular plastic explosives. They could be used for anything. But it makes sense why they were stolen. They fit right in the timeline. There were only two people with the knowledge of how to get those explosives: your father, and Andre. Once they found out about Marcel leading the whole thing, the stage was set. But the whole time, Andre was waiting. He stole those explosives. And it is our firm belief that those explosives are in that room behind you, rigged to explode."

Tulio didn't understand at all. He was showing a few tears. "I don't understand! Andre was such a great friend of my father's! Why did he set him up to die? And why did he try to blow up my father's work?!"

"That's the grand finale, my friend. We found Andre's real last name. It took some incredible police work to locate it, but deep in the records of Brasilia, it was there, alright. It's not Salinas. It's Piquet. Marcel and Andre were brothers."

Tulio could not believe the words spoken out of his mouth. Brothers? How could this be? The whole thing was a bogus scam.

"Marcel's own brother was the connection to the police force. He was the rat. He was the one that called the police off that fateful day, when Francisco Monteiro was shot dead in the street that February morning. My best guess? He told them they were no longer needed. Once the news sprang up that he was dead, there was nothing stopping Andre from trying to get back at everything else in your father's life, including his job. But there's one last thing that we don't know for sure."

"What's that?"

"The office obviously never blew up, because it's sitting behind you in one piece. There are only two ways that the bomb theory is possible, then. Either the bombs were duds and never went off, or your father knew about Andre and set up a contingency plan. The records contained in this office are most likely still intact after all this time. If that's true, then there's no doubt in my mind that your father knew about Andre being a rat."

"Why do you think that he never left a note? To tell my mother or I?"

"My opinion? He didn't want you guys to know that he let Andre and Marcel beat him. He wanted to look like an innocent man murdered in cold blood. But this was never about cold blood. This was all about family retribution."

Tulio started to put things together. "So that's why he released Marcel Jr. and his buddies from the prison. He's Marcel's uncle."

"That's one part of it," Connor added, "but at the same time, I think he needs their help. He's planning something. And I don't think that he would want us to walk into this office right now."

"Why not? Wouldn't that be what he wants? For me to die? He'd get everything he ever wanted. Kill my father, kill me, and kill his work."

"That's what you'd be led to believe. But in all reality, that's far from it. You know about Chris and his ability to talk to one of the birds. That information is classified beyond top secret. It's only known by a handful of people around the globe. Your office has no records of anything having to do with the original tests with the Hyacinths in the '70s, right?"

"I've looked multiple times. We don't have anything."

"Exactly. That's because it's all in here." He pointed at the office.

Tulio was very shocked.

"Your father didn't move the stuff for a reason. He must've known that Andre had stolen the explosives. Andre made a mistake in buying them so early. It gave your father enough time to set his contingency plan in place. He left everything in its current state in the office. He probably fired all of his staff, and told them that the office would be getting renovated or something. They'd spread a false rumor, and they wouldn't be told about why it was that way. This would have Andre believe he could come in and set bombs to kill your father. He must not have been thinking this entire thing over.

"All of the secret tests and all the lessons learned from the Hyacinths were in there, including Chris' ability to talk to Da Vinci. He wouldn't want to blow any of that up. He wants to know how it works! If he does that, he could rule both worlds. We all saw that the birds had some kind of face-off yesterday. It was all over the news. Whatever it was, it was something major. They have minds of their own."

"So, do you think that Andre will be coming back to get the data?"

"Of course! That's what this entire thing was about! He wants those reports! They'll give him extraordinary power! He'll go after Chris, and he'll hold him hostage. He'll force him to communicate with Da Vinci and bring about some kind of change! Messing with nature is a forbidden topic, because one who messes with nature is bound to be hurt very quickly. We're going to need help. I need to contact the Brazilian Special Forces and get Bill and the rest of the task force down here to deal with this. We can't do this alone. Marcel will be armed, and you can bet the rest of the goons they freed from that prison will be with him ready to fight."

"So, what should we do about this building?"

"I'll be on that. I'll contact the first responders. They'll be here shortly. Until then, go home to your family and keep them safe, alright? Let me handle this."

"Alright. Take care."

Tulio went to the elevator and headed down to his car. He didn't bother worrying about work; he headed straight home. Multiple police cars flew by him with flashing lights and sirens heading towards the complex.

* * *

Knowing the activities of Tulio gives a sense of how Blu was feeling, having to fly around Rio looking for him. First, he tried the Conservatory. He landed on one of the windowsills and peered inside. Tulio was there, but Blu was not able to recognize him. He left in a hurry, then heading towards their apartment. Once he arrived, he pressed the doorbell and landed on the ground, waiting.

Linda opened the door and smiled to see Blu. "Hey there! Come on in, Blu!"

Blu smiled and walked inside.

"What do you need?" Linda asked, walking over to one of the bookshelves and straightening a few books.

Blu flew up onto a counter and tapped a photo of him and Jewel with Linda and Tulio. He specifically tapped on Tulio, stressing that he was looking for him.

"You're looking for Tulio? He's—

The phone rang, cutting Linda off. She hurried to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello? Yes, this is Linda." She walked back upstairs. "Yes, that was on the docket for today…" Her voice trailed off.

Blu let out a sigh, sitting on the countertop and setting his feet over the edge. "Where is he? I need to talk to him. Ugh, this is important!"

It was some time before Linda returned.

"I'm sorry, Blu! Tulio's at work!"

Blu didn't understand. He was just there! Completely annoyed with himself, he nodded in approval as Linda opened a window for him. He flew out and headed back to his nest.

Once he arrived home, Blu realized that no one was home.

"What the…" Blu noticed that there was no one home. "Maybe I should just get some rest. Yeah. That should work. The flow of hormones in my body should ease my stress. I'll forget about this in an hour or two."

With that, Blu got comfortable in his nest, and drifted into a deep nap.

* * *

Out in Ipanema Beach, Jewel and the kids landed at the Samba Club after spending a while up in the air, enjoying the beautiful day.

"Here we are!" Jewel spread her wings, gazing at the newly rebuilt club. "This is where I first fell in love with your father." She turned to her kids, smiled, and thought about that moment where they nearly kissed for the first time.

"Not really into your love stories, mom," Bruno remarked. His two siblings laughed with him.

Jewel couldn't help but laugh a little, either. "Ahh. Those were the times. We were so free, and we had no cares about anything! We were just two lonely birds with a chain on our legs."

"Heard this before," Ramon joked. Again, the kids laughed.

"I know, I tell you guys a lot. But come on! One day it may be you!"

"We're the only ones, mom," Gabriela spoke. "We don't have anyone to be with. We'll be lonely the rest of our lives."

Jewel got a little concerned about them. She turned around and gave them a big hug. "You guys have nothing to worry about, okay? We have each other, and that's all that matters. You guys are still very young, and you have a lot to learn about a lot of things. Just don't worry about it, alright. Come on! Let's go see Nico and Pedro!"

Jewel motioned for her kids to follow her as she walked forward towards the club. Her kids eagerly followed. As they entered, they noticed that the place was spotless.

"Wow, they really cleaned this up nice," Jewel mumbled, then calling out, "Nico? Pedro? Are you guys in here?"

With that, there was a loud creek near the bar. The four of them peered over to view Nico sticking his head out from the other side of the bar.

"Hello? Hey guys!" Nico threw his bottle cap on and emerged from the bar. "What up, family?" He gave the kids a hug, then gave Jewel one.

"Where's Pedro?" Jewel inquired.

"Him and Ivan are still sleeping down there in our little sleeping quarters."

Jewel looked confused. "Remind me again who Ivan is?"

"He's our new bartender. Super chill guy. Mad intelligence. Really good doctor! You probably don't remember because you had a bad night a couple nights ago.

Jewel looked down. "Yeah. I did. We all did."

Nico nodded. "Yeah. Let's forget about that. But I was planning to open up the club tonight! I've got a bunch of people comin'! I need to get my two main men up asap. Care to help me?"

Jewel eagerly smiled. "Oh ho ho, I've been looking for a little adventure! I only need a couple seconds!"

Jewel scurried over to the hole under the bar and went inside. In just a matter of moments, a loud scream was heard, and Ivan and Pedro came flying out of the bar, bumping off of walls and the ceiling, finally landing on the floor, holding their ears.

"Why so loud?" Ivan whined.

"Yo," Pedro rolled around. "That's not cool. Not cool at all."

Jewel emerged laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"Aw man!" Her smile was as big as her face. "I could do that every day! Woohoo!"

"C'mon guys," Nico pressured his friends. "We've got our first real opening night tonight, and it's gotta be immaculate! I'm talking off the wall! The whole jungle's gonna be here!"

"Roger that," Ivan got up immediately and tended to his bar. Pedro sat there and did nothing.

"I need you to help me out man!" Nico pleaded. "This is serious."

Pedro sat up and made it to his feet. "I got you. Let's do this!" He ran to the other side of the club and readied the music. He put on a song to test the speakers.

"_Party rock is in the house tonight, everybody just have a good time…_"

"Woohoo!" Pedro pumped his wing in a fist.

Nico held Jewel's wing in gratefulness and smiled. "Hope to see you and your right hand man tonight at the club."

Jewel was somewhat flattered and smiled. "I'll see what I can do. Expect us!"

"See ya!" Nico waved as he walked away to tend to something.

"Bye Uncle Nico!" the three kids went in unison.

"Time to head home, kids!" Jewel walked outside and took off. The three kids followed.

Not too long after, they arrived home at the nest to find Blu fast asleep. Jewel giggled and the kids followed suit. She lightly pecked him a kiss on the side of his face, and the kids sat down in their corner of the nest. Jewel lay down next to her husband and felt his warmth. She figured they could just hang out for a little while, and though Nico was expecting them at the club, she thought that maybe they should just stay home all night.

* * *

** Well everyone, Rio 2 is here! How exciting! I've decided that I won't rush this story much more. I'm going to finish what I wanted to finish! After that, I shall begin work on the next story, which will take place after the new film! Hope you guys enjoyed, and stay tuned!**

** Looking ahead to Chapter 5: The Hyacinths, Tulio at home again, and the big Samba Club party!**


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